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Wine as a Hostess/Host Gift

Summer is a highly social time with
barbeques, picnics, dinner parties, wine tastings beer events and
vacationing family and friends. Being the considerate person
that you are, you should arrive on your host’s door step with
something more than your sparkling personality, stunning though it
may be. It’s better to err on the side of graciousness and put a
little joy in someone’s life.

Bringing a hostess/host gift is
easy. Even if it seems like bringing coals to Newcastle, do it. But
personally, I draw the line if there is an animal on the label or
wines produced in Modesto, California. Other friends may not be so
finicky.

So, bring your hostess/host a really nice bottle
of wine. Select something in the $20-30 range that looks intriguing
and is highly recommended by anyone with some sort of credentials.
Buying something because it has a cool label is out. Them are the
rules.

On a recent high school/college buddy reunion in
the wild, wild west town of Livingston, Montana, we brought a case
of Pacific Northwest wines, home-smoked salmon and a bucket of
frozen blackberries. Yep, we blew their socks off with the wines
and salmon. And that jug of wine with the yellow animal on it was
strategically positioned in the far corner of the kitchen
counter.

Here’s a few of those wines:

I’m out to impress my friends, right? So popping
the cork on this cellar dweller makes perfect sense. Ch.
Ste. Michelle Ethos Columbia Valley 2007 Reserve Merlot
was awarded a national wine magazine’s Editors’ Choice Award.
That’s pretty special, and so was this almost 10-year-old. Ripe,
round, toasty and medium-bodied, this is a classy wine, especially
for the price. A ton of black cherry, cassis, spice and toast is
seductive. The tannins have smoothed out after all these years.
What a beautiful wine.

Ledger David Winery is owned by David Traul and
Lena Varner, who have a passion for food and wine. They created
their dream place in Oregon’s Rogue Valley with the Varner-Traul
Vineyard in Talent, Oregon. At their Le Petit Tasting Room, you can
enjoy Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Sangiovese, Tempranillo and other
award winning red blends. Their 2016 Rogue Valley
Viognier is very aromatic, reminding me of melon and
peaches with a hint of citrus. Loved the balance and the lingering
finish despite the 14.5 percent alcohol. Their 2015 was awarded
Silver from the San Francisco Chronicle Competition

A little further north of the Rogue Valley is the
cool Umpqua Valley. There lies the Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards.
Owner winemaker Stephen Reustle is a cool climate specialist and
has a thing for low yields and clonal selection. It’s no wonder
they were awarded the 2017 Northwest Winery of the Year. I
thoroughly enjoyed their well-balanced Gruner Veltliner Winemaker’s
Reserve. This little-known grape variety is estate grown from
vineyards on steep, south-facing hillsides. Very much like its
native Austria.

Terra Blanca 2016 Arch Terrace
Rosé is a blend of mostly 66 percent Sangiovese with 34
percent Cabernet Franc. Beautiful fruit and great balance
make it a fabulous match with summer fare whether picnic,
patio or bbq. It’s well-balanced, with lush, tropical fruit and
crisp lively acidity on the finish. Stainless steel fermentation
followed by extended sur lie aging heightens the beautiful fruit
while creating weight and structure all balanced by the crisp
acidity. This wine has some complexity to it.

Harbinger Rattlesnake Hills Two Coyote
Vineyards Viognier is a blend of 76 percent Viognier and
24 percent Roussanne. These two varietals have been blended since
Hector was a pup in the Rhône. I love how Sara Ganon,
owner/winemaker, describes her wine. “Viognier loves to pour on the
fruit, but struggles with structure, while Roussanne can sometimes
be a bit like engineers — so focused on load support, they forget
to stop and smell the honeysuckle.” This wine boasts heady aromas
of honeysuckle, tropical fruit, ripe pear, lemon and spices.
It’s pretty much heaven in a bottle.

Established in 2010, Kevin White Winery set out
to produce limited, hand-crafted wines that pair well with
food. Founders’ love for Rhone Valley wines naturally led to a
focus on Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedré. The Kevin White
2013 Columbia Valley Mourvedre was a wine that hit it out
of the park.

It’s a blend of one barrel of Boushey Vineyard
Mourvèdre and one barrel of Olsen Estates Vineyards Mourvèdre
produced only 42 cases. This medium-body wine has all the
traditional spice, pepper, leather and raspberry flavors of a
Rhone-style wine, and I was in heaven. It’s meant for grilled foods
of all kinds.

Domaine Pouillon is a family-owned winery located
in the scenic Columbia River Gorge. Grapes are hand-picked in
small lots, aged in neutral French oak, or neutral oak and
stainless steel for whites.

Vigneron Alexis Pouillon was born to an obscure
family of French nobility that escaped the guillotine. After the
dividing up the family estate, his share was a 4-by-7 meter plot of
land with a 3-wheeled Deux Chevaux and feral cat. He abandoned the
cat to go and work at Chateau de Beaucastel. That accomplished, he
came to America to seek his fortune, thank goodness!

His travels brought him to the Columbia Gorge,
the “world of wines in 40 miles.” The 2016 Black Dot
McKinley Springs Vineyard is a very interesting blend of
33 percent Zinfandel, 28 percent Syrah, 24 percent Cabernet
Sauvignon and 15 percent Dolcetto. All cranberry,
raspberry and plum sprinkled with white pepper make this wine an
award-winning, grilled-foods-smoked-salmon kind of wine.

And, of course, I had to bring a wine from
Kitsap. Alphonse de Klerk’s Rolling Bay 2014Syrah has garnered some gold and silver in
regional competitions. This Bainbridge Island winery sources
its grapes from south-facing rocky slopes on Snipes Mountain, an
excellent site for Syrah. This wine was elegant with
wonderful aromas and flavors. It made a great impression.

The trip was a reminder of the importance of good
food, great people, and wonderful wine. Cheers!

Mary Earl has been educating Kitsap wine
lovers for a couple of decades, is a longtime member of the West
Sound Brew Club and can pair a beer or wine in a
flash.